Hi All, 2nd post from me, the information on this site is fantastic, thank you. Bey is now 6 months old and I seem to have hit a wall with her training a little. She'll hup, Stay (I can turn my back on her and walk 25 yards away) sits to go on the lead.....I'm desperately trying to master healing on the lead which is a challenge in itself but I'm slowly getting there (on that point does anyone have any tips for the hoover dog.....she is slowly getting healing but now walks with her nose to the ground - should I stop this?) BUT - she's not always coming back when I call her....she's fine in the kitchen and mostly in the garden (say 8 times out of 10) but in the training field it's only 6/7 times out of 10 - should I be expecting more, feels like I've gone backwards from when she was 4 months. Last night she ate a mouse on the drive and now only wants to bolt 25 yards to see if there are anymore too! She'll cast out to retrieve very fast, pick up but on her return she gets to within 2 metres and then doesn't come to me - bolting off. Almost like she's saying look what I've got - come get me! Which I don't of course but then she leaves it wherever and I have to go retrieve it. Last question - Her head doesn't seem to be growing....daft I know but she's this leggy little thing with a good size body but a tiny head - I'm worried she's going to end up snipey - is it true bitches heads grow more after the first heat? Not sure whether I'm expecting too much from her at this age or that actually she should be doing more....? Thanks for any advice, Dan
Re: Am I Far Enough Ahead @ 6 Mths I was thinking of a similar thread myself but wasn't sure how to word it!! My boy is 7 months, he will sit almost every time (but only within treat taking distance) He will lay down (again only close enough to take a treat) He walks at heal only if we are practicing hard on normal walks he'll be in front with no slack in the lead but not really pulling (if you see) mainly, sometimes a slack lead. He retrieves strongly but is much less keen at giving up his prize. As you say he comes back well, then shows me and won't let me have it. He recalls almost always but to be fair I haven't tried him much with any distractions, the odd walker or cyclist. I did manage to get him back from a flushed partridge the other day though!! ;D I have been told 6 - 8 months they do seem to have another blip As to growth it seems they have all sorts of strange shapes until they are fully grown. It seems mine behaves similarly to yours so its eased my mind slightly. Are you training yours for the field? Graham
Re: Am I Far Enough Ahead @ 6 Mths Hi Graham, That helps to know you're having similar issues. I have a 9 year old working lab who I bought at 2.5 years fully trained (she is fantastic) so I thought I'd have a go myself....got to be honest this little monkey (6 month old) certainly tests us. Yes the pup will be a worker too (in the main a peg dog) I'd love to get her to a similar or even better standard that the older one! Thanks again, Dan
Re: Am I Far Enough Ahead @ 6 Mths Hi Dan, glad you are enjoying the site. I suggest you focus on one thing for a few days, either your recall or your heel. And yes, it is important that your dog does not 'hunt' at heel with her nose dragging on the ground. Focus on a target, say walking five steps with her head up. Do it where you can succeed - ie a bare surface, tarmac or paving, rather than grass. Practice as many times a day as you can, short sessions and get those first few steps right. You can use a food lure initially, just feeding her at close intervals, to keep her head up. Once she has the hang of this, you can fade the lure so that you are just rewarding her when you complete the five steps. Now start to put in little turns and increase distances a little bit. When you are really slick at this, try on some boring grass - not rabbit scented Go back to your few steps and lots of rewards, and build up her concentration slowly. You have plenty of time and she is only young, but getting good habits established now, will stand you in good stead later. With recall, you need to train and proof carefully, there are lots of articles on the main site on this. When you are not specifcally training for this, don't use your recall command unless you are certain she will come, or you will poison it. Use your recall command frequently when she is running towards you of her own free will, and whenever you feed her or do anything she really likes that involves her coming towards you.. The retrieving issue is common in pups, she is playing keep away. Check out this article There's no harm in estblishing some good habits, but don't worry too much about creating long duration or complex behaviours. Keep sessions fairly short, sweet and interesting. End with something easy that she can excel at. Set her up to win
Re: Am I Far Enough Ahead @ 6 Mths This sounds as though you may have been using treats as bribes rather than rewards. Are you trying to teach a remote sit? Work on your sit with the dog on the lead next to you, and gradually fade rewards until he is only getting one treat for every five or six sits. Don't try and stop him at a distance or introduce long stays, until he is very reliable at sitting next to you in all kinds of different places, and with all manner of distractions. Make a new rule. Nobody moves forwards unless he is in the heel position. Practice as explained in the post above. Lots of short sessions focused on mastering heel for a few paces. Then sit the dog and heel a few more in a different direction. Good heelwork means hard work and concentration for a young dog, so build in lots of rewards and finish with something fun. See above Try to avoid giving your young dog opportunities to disobey the recall and seriously avoid game chasing or you will struggle later.
Re: Am I Far Enough Ahead @ 6 Mths I use the heel work Pippa describes. I started off giving Harley a treat every 5 steps and have worked up to 20 steps. She now walks to the park and back on heel (5-10 mins each way). She used to walk in front, but not always pulling before. I have to use cheese as normal treats didn't work. I now use a mixture of both. Good luck
Re: Am I Far Enough Ahead @ 6 Mths Thanks, I will try that for the heal work. Pippa, Not sure if he is being bribed or treated. I don't show him the treat until he has completed the 'task' and he doesn't always get one. I have heard this mentioned before but have never found an explanation. Not trying a remote sit until I'm happy he will always sit, but if he's not by my side he will tend to come to me and sit. I have read your article on 'keep away' and am working through it with some success, he has mastered the tennis ball and is better with 'higher value' more interesting things using the walk backwards trick. I have been using the clicker with this exercise. I have specifically not tested his recall around distractions and tried hard to avoid game but when he found a covey of partridges I called him without thinking and was pleasantly surprised when he returned. There's a lot to think about for the first dog and I'm sure I'm making lots of mistakes, I'll have to hope im on the right track and he'll get there in the end Graham
Re: Am I Far Enough Ahead @ 6 Mths Brilliant thanks for your advice pippa, You'll be please to hear I've already got her at five steps but only on paving slabs - just starting to introduce turns today. Right is good left and she gets in the way a little. Fingers crossed and thanks again. Dan
